Letters: Richard Parr, June 3, 2016

Peggy Spencer MBE becomes the Honorary President of the Gaywood Community Centre Management Committee. ENGANL00120120924170724

Published:17:39Thursday 02 June 2016

The death at the age of 95 of West Norfolk’s own “dancing Queen” Peggy Spencer MBE was given deserved excellent front page coverage in the Lynn News.

What an absolute diamond of a lady who enjoyed a full, active and long life.

Not many people can say they have been involved with a high-profile BBC TV programme “Come Dancing”, which spanned 50 years.

Even in retirement, close to her daughter Helena Anderson, in Lynn, Peggy’s dancing days were not over and she continued giving dancing lessons when she was 90-plus. Her greatest joy was to teach novice couples to dance, even though one of them might claim to have had “two left feet” when it came to tripping the light fantastic.

Her proud claim that she could teach anyone to dance reminds me of a story from a few years ago when borough councillor, Andy Tyler, was elected to be Borough Deputy Mayor and he invited Peggy to be his deputy Mayoress.

As a local journalist, I interviewed the couple outside Lynn Town Hall and during our chat Andy confessed to having “two left feet”. Peggy quickly responded with her trademark humour: “That’s nonsense, I can teach anyone to dance. I’ll soon knock him into shape.” By all accounts, Peggy taught Andy sufficient steps to enable him not to look too awkward when he and Peggy took to the dance floor at the various functions they attended during their civic year of office.

And at the grand age of 93, Peggy accepted an invitation to officially open a fundraising pre-Easter Fair organised by St Faith’s Church, Gaywood. Ever elegant, our Peggy was the true professional and donned a borrowed Easter bonnet as she cut the tape, from her wheelchair, across the main entrance. She was certainly the grandest lady in our Easter Parade.

RIP Peggy, you are a dancing legend and your legacy will live on in the dancing enjoyment of couples in dance halls across the length and breadth of the nation.